Office of Student Financial Aid
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What types of aid are available at
UNCSA?
A: There are two basic types of financial aid,
merit-based aid and need-based aid:
Merit-based aid is awarded based on your
talents and abilities. At UNCSA, each of the
five arts schools may award scholarships to
students based on artistic “merit.” For new
students, this determination may be made as
a result of your audition or interview.
Need-based aid is awarded by the Office of
Student Financial Aid based on the results of
your application for financial aid. You must
complete the financial aid application
process and follow certain procedures in
order to be awarded need-based aid.
Q: What form do I use to apply for need-based
financial aid at UNCSA?
A: Use the Free Application For Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA).
Q: Can you tell me more about the FAFSA?
A: For the Office of Student Financial Aid to
determine your eligibility for need-based
assistance, you must complete the FAFSA
each year! You may complete the FAFSA
online at www.FAFSA.ed.gov. There is no
cost for submitting the FAFSA. You will be
asked a series of questions about your
family size, the number college students in
your family, and your family’s income and
assets. Your responses will be applied to a
standard formula to determine how much
you and your family should be able to
contribute toward the cost of your education.
Be aware that you may have to request and
obtain FSA IDs for you and your parent in
advance to use as “electronic” signatures.
Q: What happens after I complete the FAFSA?
A: After the FAFSA is complete, all of your
information is reviewed, analyzed, and your
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is
calculated. The information is also matched
with various federal databases, like Social
Security and the Veteran’s Administration.
The result of this analysis is called a Student
Aid Report or SAR. Results are sent to you
and the schools you listed on the FAFSA to
receive your information.
Q: How do I apply for NC State Grants?
A: North Carolina students’ eligibility for state
grants are determined by the FAFSA! There
is no additional application necessary.
IMPORTANT
You will need to list
Federal School Code 003981,
University of North Carolina School of the Arts,
Winston Salem, NC
as one of your choices to receive your
FAFSA data.
Q: Do I have to submit a FAFSA to be
considered for merit-based aid?
A. Each arts school has a unique method of
awarding scholarships. It is to your
advantage to submit a FAFSA each year,
since some of the arts schools use your
demonstrated need or unmet need (in
addition to merit) in making final scholarship
decisions.
Q: When should I begin the financial aid
application process?
Q: What about applying for outside
scholarships?
A: The UNCSA priority filing date for students
is March 1. New students filing by this date
will receive financial aid award notifications
before April 15th. Applications submitted
after this priority filing date will be
considered, as funds are available. Most
financial aid at UNCSA is distributed on a
first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, you
should not wait for your admission decision
to submit a FAFSA. In addition, you may
want to contact your arts school to determine
if there are any audition deadlines
associated with merit scholarships.
A: Outside scholarships can be another
Q: Why should I submit a FAFSA if I am
going to be a high school student at
UNCSA?
A. Although high school students are not
eligible for Federal aid, you can still submit a
FAFSA. Then, your EFC and need can be
determined and considered for scholarship
awards based on merit and need or need
alone. You should answer the enrollment
questions on the FAFSA as if you will be a
first-year college student.
Q: Can I submit a FAFSA if I am a foreign
student?
A. No, unless you are a U.S. Permanent
Resident with a “green card.” If you are in
the U.S. on a visa, you are not eligible for
need-based aid. Therefore, any
scholarships would have to be awarded by
your arts school based on merit alone,
without regard to need.
Q: How do I know what aid I will receive?
A: You will be notified by email to log into
UNCSA’s “E-Z ARTS” Web Services to
review award information, including the types
and amounts of aid for which you are
eligible, and accept award offers. You will
receive an award notification email after your
financial aid application data is complete and
you have been officially accepted for
admission.
important source of financial aid. A list of
scholarship websites that can be useful in
your search for outside scholarships is
available in the Office of Student Financial
Aid at UNCSA. You should also be in
contact with your high school guidance
office and be aware of opportunities within
your community, such as clubs and
organizations. You must inform the Office
of Student Financial Aid at UNCSA about
any outside scholarships you are awarded.
Q: If I have additional questions about
financial aid, who should I contact at
UNCSA?
A: Please call the Office of Student Financial
Aid at 336-770-3297 — we will be happy
to assist you! Or you may visit:
http://www.uncsa.edu/financialaid/
Contact Information
UNCSA
Office of Student Financial Aid
1533 South Main Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
PH: 336-770-3297
FAX: 336-770-1489
EMAIL: [email protected]